What Is the Topic?

[rebeccajo 14]

Every consulate is different. But they aren't THAT different.

Believe it or not Kim, it wasn't hard to find info on your consulate before the Regional Forums were created. The pertinent issues that are vanilla to the consular phase stayed at the surface of the forum. There were THREADS for London, Manila, etc. Info on the little niggly clerical details of consulates could be found in those.

ZeeNusah is right that there are situations which are INTERVIEW STAGE problems but not CONSULATE SPECIFIC - issues which cross borders and could be valuable for others facing a similar situation in a different country.

Also Kim - there are 'gangs' here. I don't use the word lightly. There are posters within certain Regional Forums who 'rule the roost' and make it clear that folks from other cultures are not welcome there. In the larger environment of a forum with people from around the world, they can't get that kind of traction.

I am not the least bit worried that if the Regional Forums were dissolved that VJ comraderie would crumble. I've experienced the comraderie between people of different cultures which USE to be the basis of friendships on this board. Personally I found it much more interesting and lively - in a very good kind of way.

Edited September 24, 2008 by rebeccajo

[KimandRuss 0]

I do agree with you on many points that you make and I respect your opinion and participation here.

I really had no idea there was that kind of 'dictatorship' going on here and that's too bad, but I think you'd get people like that anywhere. Some people just need it in order to feel important. I've managed my own board for 10 years now and I know I too have to stay right on top of things and trust the people I put in charge to help me run it to keep things in order.

Just talking my own circumstances here, there are things specific to the NZ Consulate that I would not have found here had I not been the nut job I have been for the past year in searching for information. I say that lightly but i'm quite serious. You know our story, I had a long time to prepare for this and learn all I could. I used the time wisely and took the initiative to contact the Consulate and find out from the horses mouth what was specific to NZ, things I found nowhere on this site. I'm talking about things like the beneficiary's CV/resume being of extreme importance, the fact that every piece of paperwork, even from the Embassy, states Russell did not need a police certificate from somewhere he lived for 9 months. He was even told so via email by the Consulate because I was concerned he would still need it. Well the CO wanted one. The only reason she let it slide was because it was her people who gave out the wrong information. The same CO conducts all the interviews so I knew this was valuable to others. That pc could have taken 2 months to get if she had requested it.... we've already been waiting years... I'm sure i'm not alone in wanting all the facts so that nothing is left to chance. If I can help other couples going through NZ with all of that then i'm paying forward all that VJ has given me. I don't think I could do that in the General section.

It's my opinion that most of the folks who come here for information really don't care what's going on at other Consulates...they want to know what they need to do and how they need to do it. That certainly works in the General section for the petition stage of the process (referring to K1's here because that's what I know) but when it comes to the Consulate level, I think that added information about other Consulates serves only to confuse people. Admittedly, i've done my share of reading all about the experience at all Consulates but admittedly, i'm a bit weird like that. Most don't even seem to know where any of the other sections of the board are unless they are directed there via link.

I don't know what the answer is either. I just know that if I was just starting out now... *shivers*....that NZ thread would be a gold mine.

btw... my man is back in my arms in 6.5 hours! He just landed in LA. :) It's been exactly one year since Russell was denied entry and I first posted with you folks. Thought you'd want to know since you were one of the ones who helped me from the start. Thank you.

[rebeccajo 14]

I do agree with you on many points that you make and I respect your opinion and participation here.

I really had no idea there was that kind of 'dictatorship' going on here and that's too bad, but I think you'd get people like that anywhere. Some people just need it in order to feel important. I've managed my own board for 10 years now and I know I too have to stay right on top of things and trust the people I put in charge to help me run it to keep things in order.

Just talking my own circumstances here, there are things specific to the NZ Consulate that I would not have found here had I not been the nut job I have been for the past year in searching for information. I say that lightly but i'm quite serious. You know our story, I had a long time to prepare for this and learn all I could. I used the time wisely and took the initiative to contact the Consulate and find out from the horses mouth what was specific to NZ, things I found nowhere on this site. I'm talking about things like the beneficiary's CV/resume being of extreme importance, the fact that every piece of paperwork, even from the Embassy, states Russell did not need a police certificate from somewhere he lived for 9 months. He was even told so via email by the Consulate because I was concerned he would still need it. Well the CO wanted one. The only reason she let it slide was because it was her people who gave out the wrong information. The same CO conducts all the interviews so I knew this was valuable to others. That pc could have taken 2 months to get if she had requested it.... we've already been waiting years... I'm sure i'm not alone in wanting all the facts so that nothing is left to chance. If I can help other couples going through NZ with all of that then i'm paying forward all that VJ has given me. I don't think I could do that in the General section.

It's my opinion that most of the folks who come here for information really don't care what's going on at other Consulates...they want to know what they need to do and how they need to do it. That certainly works in the General section for the petition stage of the process (referring to K1's here because that's what I know) but when it comes to the Consulate level, I think that added information about other Consulates serves only to confuse people. Admittedly, i've done my share of reading all about the experience at all Consulates but admittedly, i'm a bit weird like that. Most don't even seem to know where any of the other sections of the board are unless they are directed there via link.

I don't know what the answer is either. I just know that if I was just starting out now... *shivers*....that NZ thread would be a gold mine.

btw... my man is back in my arms in 6.5 hours! He just landed in LA. :) It's been exactly one year since Russell was denied entry and I first posted with you folks. Thought you'd want to know since you were one of the ones who helped me from the start. Thank you.

Well, first of all..........let me say that I had NO IDEA that Russell was coming home today and I am SO THRILLED for the both of you! I know your reunion will be a joyous one and I'll be thinking of you this evening.

Now on the subject - when I've previously lobbied for the dissolution of the Regionals, I have said that IF there were a need anywhere on VJ for Regional Forums, it should be as sub-forums to the main Consular Forum. If I recall correctly, this concept was initially suggested by Yodrak.

Insofar as what happened with police certificates for New Zealand, had there been a discussion about that in the main consular forum and had I been involved in that discussion, I would have suggested that information contained on the DOS website clearly states that six months is the requirement. Consulates establish their own rules for bonafides (because they are aware of social patterns in that country) and for financials (because their are no codified requirements for financial sponsorship of a K1). I think we could have sifted your police certificate problem - I've seen people from all nations work on the case of a single individual. It's really quite - well - it renews your faith in humankind I guess.

I would not continue to bring this up OVER and OVER and OVER again if I didn't truly believe in it.

[LoriLawless 0]

Well I'm seeing a lot of moving out of the regional forums and in to Off Topic.

Congrats to you and Russ!

[mox 298]

RJ, you know I loves ya hon. But I absolutely disagree with getting rid of the regional forums. If there are "gangs" and bad behavior, that needs to be addressed as the individual problem that it is. If posts of a generic immigration nature are being posted in the regional forums...who cares? As long as it's being discussed and added to the collective knowledge, it doesn't really matter where it ends up, because when I have a specific immigration question I don't just start reading posts linearly. I use Google. I use forum search. If the information I need is in the PI forum, it doesn't bother me. (And please let's not get into the "well why not just have one gigantic forum" discussion, that's not what I'm saying either. In fact, just the opposite. The regional forums are a great place for when you do want to go through threads linearly.)

But what's really got me kind of annoyed right now, is that recently the RU forum (my "gang") just got carpet bombed with thread re-locations, and almost every single one of those threads had RU-specific discussion and advice.

Take care of bad behavior as it happens. Leave these "communities" alone. They're not broken, they don't need fixed.

[payxibka 10,045]

I remember when the whole "organizer" event occured a year or more ago everyone went "move" happy. A boatload of complaints occured at that time as well. I remember something in the back of my mind that Ewok preferred the moving to be minimized. That if the thread had a remote connection to the forum it was in, then we were to leave it alone. If a fillipina aske a question about CFO in the PI regional forum, since it has a remote connection to the PI then we not move it. Only when there was an obvious disconnect were threads to be moved.

Am I not remembering correctly or is this now not the way things were suppose to be?

Edited September 24, 2008 by payxibka

[mox 298]

Am I not remembering correctly or is this now not the way things were suppose to be?

I remember this too.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I think there are a lot of culturally-specific issues that people from different regions with vastly different values deal with that will be misunderstood by the wider group, if not mocked, and that is why the regional forums serve a useful purpose. For example, people with western spouses don't "get" why PI couples or those from other asian countries need to discuss sending money home. Those with MENA spouses may want to discuss how to reconcile their spouse's muslim faith with their western values. Those with FSU spouses may want to discuss the issue of giving their spouse's spending money with a bunch of AW weighing in with judgements about male order brides.

Although anyone can read the regional forums, people are less likely to come into threads with a flamethrower or baiting remarks if they are kept to the regional forum.

[LaL 418]

Seems like the moving disease has spread to MENA. Clearly defined, the regionals are not. Seems even after Ewok's clarification, people are still confused. Off topics are allowed, as are very specific regional immigration issues.

Fwaguy- you know we have wrestled a bit with AOS - EAD - AP threads, and I am still disagreeing. Despite filing concurrently - if the thread is 100% only about an EAD form - what better use of the Working & Traveling forum is there? I would guess at least 80% of the EADs & APs filed are done so concurrently. I leave the threads if they mention AOS in their question.

[LoriLawless 0]

Clearly defined, the regionals are not

Is this the Yoda thread?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Jenn! 918]

I remember when the whole "organizer" event occured a year or more ago everyone went "move" happy. A boatload of complaints occured at that time as well. I remember something in the back of my mind that Ewok preferred the moving to be minimized. That if the thread had a remote connection to the forum it was in, then we were to leave it alone. If a fillipina aske a question about CFO in the PI regional forum, since it has a remote connection to the PI then we not move it. Only when there was an obvious disconnect were threads to be moved.

Am I not remembering correctly or is this now not the way things were suppose to be?

This was my understanding as well, and I think it was confirmed by him in this thread.

[LaL 418]

Clearly defined, the regionals are not

Is this the Yoda thread?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[rebeccajo 14]

Just for the record -

I haven't touched or moved anything today.

[Sheriff Uling 3]

As previously stated, the regional forums have become a catch all of threads and it's primarily because folks feel more comfortable posting amongst their own people because of the "family-like" atmosphere in addition to the comfortability factor (in addition to it being a natural tendency... and I'm not insinuating those tendencies are bad). That's the honest and real answer. So I'm expecting to more feedback after threads are moved to the appropriate forums.

Cheers...

Sheriff Uling

[LoriLawless 0]

Clearly defined, the regionals are not

Is this the Yoda thread?

Sorry, couldn't resist.